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what happened to wrigley's brother in tell me lies

Wrigley’s brother, Drew, dies in Tell Me Lies after an accidental drug overdose, and his death is directly tied to his guilt over Macy’s fatal car accident and his already fragile mental health.

Quick answer

  • Drew is revealed to have caused the car accident that killed Macy, which sends him into a spiral of guilt and anxiety.
  • After Lucy anonymously reports him to the school, he leaves campus and becomes even more unstable.
  • In season 2, it is confirmed that Drew dies on Wrigley’s couch after accidentally overdosing on Wrigley’s pain pills, not realizing they are extended‑release medication.

How the show builds to it

  • Early on, Drew is shown as withdrawn and burdened, hiding the secret that he accidentally ran Macy off the road, which keeps eating away at him.
  • Lucy’s anonymous letter blaming him for Macy’s death leads to his expulsion and a violent fight with Wrigley, which also ends Wrigley’s football career and deepens the brothers’ rift.

What exactly happens to Drew

  • When Drew and Wrigley finally reconnect for a night of partying and attempted reconcilation, Drew takes Wrigley’s pain medication to numb both physical and emotional pain.
  • He overdoses on those pills while crashing on Wrigley’s couch, and by the next day he is dead from an accidental overdose, which the show presents as the culmination of his guilt, substance use, and untreated mental health struggles.

Impact on Wrigley in the series

  • Wrigley is shattered by Drew’s death and clearly blames himself, which contributes to his heavy drug and alcohol use and erratic behavior in later timelines.
  • At Evan and Bree’s wedding, it is implied he is still grieving and carrying the weight of both Macy’s death and Drew’s overdose years later, with his future left somewhat open‑ended but clearly haunted by his brother’s fate.

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